Tuition & Financial Aid
More than $20 million in scholarships awarded last year.
A scholarship makes tuition even more affordable.
Great news! Through the generosity of numerous corporations and foundations, plus special federal government appropriations, WGU maintains a robust program of scholarships made available to qualified students.
Scholarships are one of the many ways in which WGU removes obstacles from your path to achieving your education goals and improving your career opportunities. It’s part of our investment in the future of our students.
Year of You Scholarship
Worth up to $2,500 toward a WGU bachelor's or master's degree!
Year of You ScholarshipResiliency Grant
For students who are facing significant financial barriers in pursuing a WGU degree.
Resiliency GrantLeadership Scholarship
Up to $5,000 toward any WGU degree program.
Leadership ScholarshipScholarship eligibility and information.
Scholarships are for new students and returning WGU graduates.
Scholarships are available for new WGU students and returning WGU graduates, depending upon specific eligibility requirements for the particular scholarship. Students are eligible to apply for these scholarships within 90 days of starting a degree program, either before or after.
Scholarships are competitive programs.
Recipients will be chosen based upon their academic record, financial need, readiness for online study, and current competency, plus other considerations specific to the individual scholarship.
Students can receive only one scholarship per degree program.
If a student qualifies for multiple scholarships, the review board will consider each opportunity and select which one to award, if any. WGU employees and their spouses are not eligible.
For students who are facing significant financial barriers in pursuing a WGU degree.
For individuals who do not have access to traditional state and federal funding—such as Pell Grants and student loans.
Make 2022 the year of you with a WGU bachelor’s or master’s degree.
A scholarship to cover the cost of installing and accessing internet for students who might not otherwise be able to get online.
For EMTs, police, firefighters, corrections officers, and their spouses.
Master your future with a master's degree from WGU.
For graduates and staff of WGU partner community colleges looking to earn a WGU bachelor’s or master’s degree.
For employees of WGU’s partner institutions who wish to advance their education in the business, education, information technology, or healthcare fields.
For WGU alums who are interested in pursuing a master's degree.
For community college graduates who have completed an apprenticeship program and want to earn a WGU bachelor’s degree.
For the child or spouse of a WGU grad who desires to experience their own WGU journey.
For motivated Phi Theta Kappa members with an associate's degree who wish to continue their education and earn a bachelor's degree.
For graduates of Harper College, Illinois, who wish to earn a WGU degree.
WGU has partnered with the Corporation for National and Community Service to help AmeriCorps alumni finish a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
For motivated students who have completed at least four StraighterLine courses who wish to continue their education and earn a degree.
For Red Cross employees and volunteers who are new WGU students that want to earn a WGU bachelor's or master's degree.
To honor our essential workers, this scholarship can be used toward any WGU bachelor's or master's degree in business, information technology, health professions, or education.
For individuals who are ready to ramp up their careers, show what they have to offer, and take the lead in their chosen field.
WGU has partnered with the Western Association of Food Chains to help employees of eligible WAFC partner institutions earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
For students who have had their plans to pursue a college degree deferred by Independence University's closure.
For low-income or first-generation students who are EOP&S students and currently enrolled in a California Community College and wish to earn a WGU bachelor's degree.
WGU is pleased to offer the WGU Collaborative Agreement Scholarship to new students or returning graduates. These scholarships, each valued up to $2,500, are designed for employees of WGU’s partner collaboratives that are seeking to advance their education in any of WGU’s four colleges.
This scholarship is designed for WGU students affiliated with one of our community outreach partners that are seeking to obtain a Bachelor's degree in any of WGU's four colleges.
For residents of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
For rural residents who want to complete their college education but were previously unable to because they lacked access to internet service.
For those who have always dreamed of completing their college degrees and advancing their careers but faced challenges that prevented them from moving forward.
For Alpha Phi Alpha members who wish to continue their education and earn a bachelor’s or master's degree.
In honor of Margaret McClure, a champion of the value of higher education in nursing, this scholarship is offered to students who have demonstrated activism or innovation in nursing that improves patient outcomes.
For ANPD members looking to earn a WGU online bachelor’s degree or master's degree in nursing or healthcare.
For new MSN or health leadership students at WGU who display the spirit and commitment to leadership exemplified by Linda Knodel.
Master your future with a master's degree from WGU.
For experienced IT or healthcare professionals who wish to attend college online to move into the high-demand field of health information management.
For students who are eager to advance their careers in the healthcare field with a WGU bachelor's degree in health services coordination.
For employees of WGU’s partner hospitals and healthcare organizations who wish to advance their education to become educators, managers, and leaders in vital healthcare fields.
For Cleveland Clinic employees to earn a bachelor's or master's degree in a health, business, or information technology program.
For nursing professionals pursuing a post-master's certificate in nursing.
Master your future with a master's degree from WGU.
For Society for Human Resource Management national, regional, or chapter leaders who are looking to add a bachelor’s or master’s degree to their résumé.
For Cleveland Clinic employees to earn a bachelor's or master's degree in a health, business, or information technology program.
Gain the skills and credentials you need to build a strong career in cybersecurity with a bachelor's or master's degree from WGU.
For Cleveland Clinic employees to earn a bachelor's or master's degree in a health, business, or information technology program.
To assist future IT leaders in earning their IT bachelor's degree at WGU.
Master your future with a master's degree from WGU.
For prospective teachers who want to earn their teacher certification and current educators ready to advance their careers.
For the men and women who work in America’s K–12 schools and districts who desire to earn a WGU bachelor's or master's degree.
For aspiring teachers, this scholarship can be applied toward any of WGU’s Teachers College degree programs leading to teacher licensure.
Master your future with a master's degree from WGU.
For Florida residents who wish to obtain an ESOL endorsement within their first 5 years of teaching.
WGU offers active-duty military personnel, veterans, and their spouses an opportunity to advance their education.
For service members, veterans, spouses, and dependents in the U.S. Armed Forces.
For active-duty military, designed to help fill the gap between tuition assistance benefit amounts and WGU's tuition.
For spouses of active duty military personnel, veterans, guard, and reservists.
For members of Gold Star Families who desire to earn a WGU degree.
3 steps to apply for WGU scholarships.
Now that you've looked at scholarships and found one that might apply to you, here's how you apply.
1. Complete the admissions application.
To be considered for any WGU scholarships, you must be provisionally accepted as a WGU student. Complete the admissions application and work with your enrollment counselor to move through the admissions process.
2. Complete the general scholarship application.
The general application is required for all WGU scholarships, and lets us learn more about you and which scholarships you may be eligible for. To access the application, you will need your MyWGU student portal credentials, which will be sent to you shortly after Step 1. NOTE: You are eligible to apply for scholarships within 90 days of starting a degree program, either before or after. You must complete the application within 90 days of your intended start date.
3. Log in to scholarship portal and apply.
Based on what you tell us in Step 2, we’ll let you know which scholarships you might be eligible for. Finish up by reviewing the recommended opportunities and completing the supplemental application for each scholarship you’d like to be considered for. These additional applications need to be submitted within 5 days of submitting the general application.
Common questions about scholarships.
How do you select scholarship winners?
It depends upon the scholarship. In general, we award scholarships based on the following factors:
- Meeting the basic eligibility requirements
- Answers you give on the scholarship application
- An interview with a scholarship counselor
Some scholarships are also based upon evaluations of prior college transcripts and other tests. We encourage you to apply.
When will I find out if I'm selected?
WGU evaluates scholarship applications on a continual basis because we start new students in their programs every month. Often we are able to make an award decision within 8–10 weeks of receiving your application. In most cases, you will also need to have applied for admission and been accepted to the university. An Enrollment Counselor can help explain the process.
Do I get the scholarship all at once?
No. Scholarship awards are divided into a set amount per term. This amount is credited against your tuition due for each term. The details are explained in the description for each scholarship.
Can I also apply for financial aid?
Yes. You probably should apply for federal financial aid, too. Scholarship awards will only cover a portion of your school expenses, and financial aid can help pay for the rest. You can apply for financial aid while you are waiting for a decision about your scholarship application. It will not hurt your chances to win a scholarship. Here is full information on financial aid.
Next Start Date
Start the 1st of any month—as soon as you complete enrollment!
Take the next step.
Ready to move forward toward achieving your goals? Millions of dollars in available scholarships can put the dream of a college degree even more within reach! Get started today—the first step is to apply for admission.
